Process of making flame coloring sticks



Nov. 21, 1944. .1. P. B. FISKE 2,363,306

PROCESS OF MAKING FLAME COLORING STICKS Original Filed 001.. 29, 1940 j ywj a 2 Patented Nov. 21, 1944 PROCESS OF MAKING FLAME COLORING STICKS Jonathan P. B. Fiske, Newton, Mass.

Original application October 29, 1940, Serial No. 363,240. Divided and this application February 24, 1943, Serial No. 476,942

4 Claims.

This invention relates to flame coloring material and more particularly to the process whereby such material is formed into sticks, bars or other easily handled articles to which-is directed my Patent 2 320,330, granted May 25, 1943, of

,thus distributed over the fuel, being caught by the cracks and crannies thereof, so that the coloring effect produced by the agent in the flames lasts for a long time and produces a wide-spread effect. The carrier may be any one of that class of substances which are solid at room temperature and melt into a liquid upon the application of heat. I have found parafin wax gives superior results as a carrier, although other substances such as stearic acid or beeswax may be used if desired.

Heretofore it has been proposed to mix the flame coloring agent with the molten carrier and then to pour the mixture into molds. Such mixing of agent and carrier prior to pouring involves so many difficulties, including excessive time and excessive expense, that it has been found, after repeated trials, to be not commercially practical to manufacture flame coloring materials where such pre-mixing is involved. Moreover, this procedure has not been satisfactory for the reason that the flame coloring agent settled to the bottom of the molten carrier. It is not feasible to stir the mixture constantly while pouring and even if it were the sticks in difierent molds would not be uniform. Furthermore, it is not feasible to heat the carrier only to the point where the flame coloring agent will not settle rapidly because then the mix does not pour well.

The primary object of this invention resides in the manufacture of molded flame coloring articles consisting of a carrier and a flame coloring agent without the necessity of mixing the ingredients prior to molding.

This as well as other objects of the invention will appear from a consideration of the following description and of the drawing which forms a part thereof, and in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the mold in which the material is formed;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the mold taken along the lines 2-2 in Fig. 1:

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the mold;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the die block of the mold taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the mold with which is assembled a charger unit for supplying the agent to the mold;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the mold with the agent in the cavities thereof;

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 with the agent and carrier in the cavities thereof;

Fig. 8 illustrates the die block with an ejector unit and the blocks of material after ejection from the mold; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a finished stick.

The stick ill of flame coloring material consists of a carrier II and a flame coloring agent l2. The carrier H is preferably of paraflln wax and the agent I2 is preferably copper chloride in the form of particles incorporated with the carrier and confined largely to one side of the stick (the upper side in Fig. 9). The process by which the stick I 0 is made according to this invention is as follows: A predetermined amount of the copper chloride in the form of separate particles is placed in a mold. The parafiin wax converted by heat into a freely flowing liquid is poured into the mold on top of the particles until the mold is completely or substantially fllled. While the liquid carrier readily fills the interstices between the particles of flame coloring agent the particles remain localized in the bottom of the mold because of their higher specific gravity. Since heated paraflin wax has a tendency to set quickly when no longer subjected to heat, the particles of agent are trapped and held in the cooling mass.

Suitable apparatus for carrying out this process illustrated in the drawing includes a mold 20 comprising a die block 2| and a bed 22. The die block 2| includes a plurality of cavities 23, three being here shown, in which the sticks of material are formed, such cavities being open at both ends and bound by inwardly inclined walls. The bed 22 comprises a base block 24, a layer 25 of sponge rubber, flannel, plush, or similar depresslble material, and a sheet 26 of non-adhesive paper, e. g., glassene.

The die block 2| is suitably clamped upon the bed 22 by the coaction of books 21 carried by the base block 2 and pins 28 projecting outwardly from the die block. When assembled the sheet .26 closes the cavities 23 at the bottom. The

hooks 21 and pins 28 are so located that when the die block 2| is assembled with the bed plate 22, the bottom surface of the die block is depressed somewhat into the upper surfaces of the yieldable mass of the layer 25 so that the bottoms of the cavities are-tightly sealed by the sheet 26 to prevent any escape of liquid therefrom during the formation ofthe sticks. Y

A charger unit 30 is employed in the feeding block 2|. The pockets 32 in the box are open at the bottom and when the unit is positioned on the block, register with the cavities 23 therein. The plate 33 in one position closes the pockets 32 (see Fig. 5). Slots 3! are provided in the plate which when the plate is shifted register with the pockets 32 and cavities 23.

A supply of the copper chloride crystals I2 is placed in the box 3| and the pockets 32, being closed by the plate 33, are filled evenly therewith, after which the plate 33 is pulled out to permit the crystals to drop into the cavities 23 of the die block 2|. The charger unit 30 is then removed (see Fig. 6). The carrier forming material, e. g., paraflln wax, having been heated sufllciently forconversion into a liquid, is poured into the cavities on top of the crystals. After the carrier has set in the cavities 23 the die block 2| is separated from the bed 22 and supported in an inverted position over 'a removable pallet 40. Suitable means are then employed to drive the sticks l0 out of the cavities 23, such as an ejector unit 4| which comprises a base 42, bars 43 secured thereto and pins 44. The bars 43 are so dimensioned and positioned that they will register with and enter freely the open bottom ends of the cavities when the unit is positioned relativeto the die block 2| by the entry 01' the pins 44 into the apertures 45 in the tongues 36. Sufficient pressure is exerted to depress the unit 4| and drive the sticks i0 out of the cavities onto the pallet 40.

Inasmuch as some of the flame coloring crystals are exposed at the surface of the sticks they tend to absorb moisture in damp weather. Crystals .being intensely hydroscopic, absorb sufllcient moisture from the air to cover, here and there, the surface of the sticks with a watery solution, and in the case of copper chloride, with green would be necessary to paint all sides of the stick.

This would involve painting one side of the stick,

7 waiting for it to dry, turning it over, and then painting the other side, thereby materially increasing the cost of production While one form of apparatus for carrying out this process has been described in detail, it will be understood that other forms of apparatus may be used if desired without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Iclaim:

1. That process of making units of flame coloring materials which comprises the steps of supplying discrete particles of a flame coloring agent to a mold, the particles being deposited at the bottom of the mold in a loose mass of consider- I able depth, pouring a liquefied carrier into the drops, which are very objectionable as they not only stain .the paper box inwhich the sticks are packaged, but they stain the hands of any person using the sticks. To avoid this difflculty the sides of the sticks containing the crystals are painted with paraflin or other suitable waterproof material after they are removed from the mold. By localizing the crystals in one side of each stick mold wherein it mixes with the agent and substantially fills the interstices between the particles throughout said mass, and allowing the carrier to set with the agent mixed therein.

2. That process of making sticks of flame coloring material consisting of particles of discrete chemical salt and a normally solid carrier which comprises the steps of placing chemical particles in a mold, the particles being deposited at the bottom of the mold in a loose mass of considerable depth, converting the carrier into liquid form, pouring the liquid carrier into the mold and onto the particles therein, the liquid substantially filling the interstices between the particles, and allowing said carrier to set with the particles incorporated with the carrier.

3. That process of making sticks of flame coloring material consisting of copper chloride and paraflin wax which comprises the steps of placing a predetermined amount of discrete copper chloride particles in a mold, the particles being deposited at the bottom of the mold in a loose mass of considerable depth, heating the paraiiin wax to convert it into a liquid, pouring the liquid wax into the mold and onto the copper chloride, the liquid substantially filling the interstices between said particles, and allowing the wax to set in the mold to form a stick with the copper chloride incorporated with the wax.

4. That process of making a flame coloring unit which comprises separately applying to a mold discrete particles of flame coloring material and a liquefied carrier, the particles being deposited at the bottom of the mold in a loose mass of considerable depth, the carrier being sufficiently thin substantially to fill the interstices between the particles, and then allowing the carrier to set with the flame coloring material trapped therein, whereby the carrier may be poured while suiiiciently fluid to fill the corners of the mold, the proportions of particles and carrier may be easily regulated and the particles may be localized JONATHAN P. B. FISKE. 

